Maryland

Maryland 1969 passenger issue. This plate was the last of a series started in 1958 where the state alternated using dashes, colons and diamonds as separators. This plate had the diamond separator.

Maryland 1970 passenger issue. No separator was used at all on this plate. This was the last of the yearly issues for Maryland.

Maryland 1972 passenger issue (1971 base). This base was first issued at the end of March, 1970 and was used without stickers through March, 1971. It was then used with date stickers through the 1975 expiration. This plate was the last Maryland issue to use the AB-1234 serial format.

Maryland 1975 passenger issue (1971 base). Continuation of the 1971 series. Later plates on this base, produced and issued in 1975, were produced concurrently with the to-be-released 1976 base and used the same narrow dies introduced on that baseplate. This series lasted from the RF series of plates through the exhaustion of this base at the end of 1975.

Maryland 1977 passenger issue. This base was first issued in 1976 and used through 1980. This marked the first use of an ABC-123 serial format on Maryland passenger plates. This one was on somebody's CAR.

Maryland 1977 Bicentennial passenger issue. This plate was an optional extra-cost issue used concurrently with the 1976 red on white base. It was valid through April 1, 1980, and is one of the more difficult Bicentennial issues to obtain. These plates were produced by the Polyvend Corporation in Arkansas and use the same die set used by Illinois plates of this era. Is it just me, or do those "8"s look upside-down?

Maryland 1980 passenger issue. Later period plates on this base were produced at the same time as the upcoming 1981 baseplates and had the sticker well at the top reduced to a very shallowly embossed, unpainted border. The paint rollers managed to catch part of the one on this plate anyway, leaving a red smear under the sticker.

Maryland 1982 passenger issue. This boring customer was used from 1981 through 1986 and re-validated through 1987. It was essentially identical to the 1976-80 plate, aside from a color change from red to black on white. The shallow-stamped sticker box first seen on late versions of the last plate was retained with this issue.

Maryland 1985 350th Anniversary passenger issue. This plate was an optional issue used by Maryland to celebrate the state's 350th anniversary in 1984. The plate was issued through the AKE series and was valid through 1986. This plate won ALPCA's Plate of the Year award in 1984.

Maryland 1986 passenger issue. This is a variation on this base starting with the KEM series where the space between numbers and letters was extended. This was due to the state starting production of the 1986 Shield base and retooling the dies near the end of this plate's run.

Maryland 1987 passenger issue. This new baseplate was first issued in February, 1986 and was heavily based on the popular "350th Anniversary" optional issue design shown above. The "shield" base started at number NAA-001. A good number of the early shield bases (from the NAA series through the late WBx series) were stamped on leftover 1981-base blanks and have white painted backs. Plates produced after that have unpainted metal backs.

Maryland 1992 passenger issue. Continuation of the shield base. For the first few years of this plate's issuance, the year stickers always used color schemes containing combinations of yellow, black, white and/or red, matching the colors used in the state shield at the center of the plate. This practice was discontinued after 1995, when sticker colors matching the optional Chesapeake Bay plate came into use for all types.

Maryland 1995 passenger issue. After plate number ZZZ-999 was reached in 1992, the numbering series was restarted at AAA-001. This format remained in use until late 2004, when the end of the Mxx series was reached and a new format adopted (see next).

Maryland 2006 passenger issue. In late 2004, Maryland exhausted the end of the MZZ series and a new format was required to avoid duplicating previously-issued serials from NAA on up. The state switched to this new 1AB-C23 format for new passenger issues, starting at 1AA A00. The plate initially remained otherwise unchanged.

Maryland 2006 passenger issue. In early 2005, starting around plate number 1AL A00, Maryland began including the state's website address, www.maryland.gov, at the bottom of their plate. This affected passenger, multi-purpose (SUV), and other categories of plates that didn't previously have a caption at the bottom of the plate.

Maryland 2009 passenger issue. A disruption in plate production at the Maryland State Prison's plate facility in 2006 caused the state to have a small quantity of plates produced in New Jersey, using New Jersey's distinctive die set. The NJ-die plates appeared on some non-passenger types first, but were also used on the passenger series in the block between 1CN A01 and 9CN Z99. Plates after this series reverted back to the standard Maryland die set.

Maryland 2008 passenger issue. Plates returned to the usual Maryland die set after the run of New Jersey-made plates ended, restarting at 1CP A01 through the introduction of a new baseplate in June, 2010 (see next.)

Maryland 2012 passenger issue. Maryland introduced a new general issue in June, 2010, to commemorate the upcoming bicentennial of the War of 1812. The plate incorporates elements of "The Star Spangled Banner," featuring a graphic of the American flag streaming o'er the ramparts of Fort McHenry as red rockets glare and bombs burst in the background. The plate remained the state's general issue through late 2016 and used a unique 1 A/B 2345 serial format with the letters stacked. The series began with this stacked M/D series, followed by A/A and above.

Maryland 2012 passenger issue. Continuation of the series, once the initial M/D series was exhausted, the stacked characters reverted to A/A and progressed from there.

Maryland 2013 passenger issue. Continuation of the War of 1812 base, in 2012 the contract for producing background sheeting for these plates was awarded to Avery, producing plates with the trademark Avery sheen to them. The graphic looks otherwise the same as the previous 3M plates. This change occurred somewhere in the A/G series.

Maryland 2016 passenger issue. In September, 2016, Maryland discontinued the War of 1812 base and began issuing a new "Maryland Proud" graphic plate featuring the state's flag at the bottom. The new issue continues the serial format from the 1812 base, but using seven full-height characters rather than the hard-to-read stacked letters of the previous issue. This change was made in the 8CN series.

Additional Maryland information provided by: Christopher Jackson, Jeff Ellis

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Last Modified 6/16/2017 (added 2016 plate).

	Maryland 1969 passenger issue. This plate was the last of a series started in 1958 where the state alternated using dashes, colons and diamonds as separators. This plate had the diamond separator.
	Maryland 1970 passenger issue. No separator was used at all on this plate. This was the last of the yearly issues for Maryland.
	Maryland 1972 passenger issue (1971 base). This base was first issued at the end of March, 1970 and was used without stickers through March, 1971. It was then used with date stickers through the 1975 expiration. This plate was the last Maryland issue to use the AB-1234 serial format.
	Maryland 1975 passenger issue (1971 base). Continuation of the 1971 series. Later plates on this base, produced and issued in 1975, were produced concurrently with the to-be-released 1976 base and used the same narrow dies introduced on that baseplate. This series lasted from the RF series of plates through the exhaustion of this base at the end of 1975.
	Maryland 1977 passenger issue. This base was first issued in 1976 and used through 1980. This marked the first use of an ABC-123 serial format on Maryland passenger plates. This one was on somebody's CAR.
	Maryland 1977 Bicentennial passenger issue. This plate was an optional extra-cost issue used concurrently with the 1976 red on white base. It was valid through April 1, 1980, and is one of the more difficult Bicentennial issues to obtain. These plates were produced by the Polyvend Corporation in Arkansas and use the same die set used by Illinois plates of this era. Is it just me, or do those "8"s look upside-down?
	Maryland 1980 passenger issue. Later period plates on this base were produced at the same time as the upcoming 1981 baseplates and had the sticker well at the top reduced to a very shallowly embossed, unpainted border. The paint rollers managed to catch part of the one on this plate anyway, leaving a red smear under the sticker.
	Maryland 1982 passenger issue. This boring customer was used from 1981 through 1986 and re-validated through 1987. It was essentially identical to the 1976-80 plate, aside from a color change from red to black on white. The shallow-stamped sticker box first seen on late versions of the last plate was retained with this issue.
	Maryland 1985 350th Anniversary passenger issue. This plate was an optional issue used by Maryland to celebrate the state's 350th anniversary in 1984. The plate was issued through the AKE series and was valid through 1986. This plate won ALPCA's Plate of the Year award in 1984.
	Maryland 1986 passenger issue. This is a variation on this base starting with the KEM series where the space between numbers and letters was extended. This was due to the state starting production of the 1986 Shield base and retooling the dies near the end of this plate's run.
	Maryland 1987 passenger issue. This new baseplate was first issued in February, 1986 and was heavily based on the popular "350th Anniversary" optional issue design shown above. The "shield" base started at number NAA-001. A good number of the early shield bases (from the NAA series through the late WBx series) were stamped on leftover 1981-base blanks and have white painted backs. Plates produced after that have unpainted metal backs.
	Maryland 1992 passenger issue. Continuation of the shield base. For the first few years of this plate's issuance, the year stickers always used color schemes containing combinations of yellow, black, white and/or red, matching the colors used in the state shield at the center of the plate. This practice was discontinued after 1995, when sticker colors matching the optional Chesapeake Bay plate came into use for all types.
	Maryland 1995 passenger issue. After plate number ZZZ-999 was reached in 1992, the numbering series was restarted at AAA-001. This format remained in use until late 2004, when the end of the Mxx series was reached and a new format adopted (see next).
	Maryland 2006 passenger issue. In late 2004, Maryland exhausted the end of the MZZ series and a new format was required to avoid duplicating previously-issued serials from NAA on up. The state switched to this new 1AB-C23 format for new passenger issues, starting at 1AA A00. The plate initially remained otherwise unchanged.
	Maryland 2006 passenger issue. In early 2005, starting around plate number 1AL A00, Maryland began including the state's website address, www.maryland.gov, at the bottom of their plate. This affected passenger, multi-purpose (SUV), and other categories of plates that didn't previously have a caption at the bottom of the plate.
	Maryland 2009 passenger issue. A disruption in plate production at the Maryland State Prison's plate facility in 2006 caused the state to have a small quantity of plates produced in New Jersey, using New Jersey's distinctive die set. The NJ-die plates appeared on some non-passenger types first, but were also used on the passenger series in the block between 1CN A01 and 9CN Z99. Plates after this series reverted back to the standard Maryland die set.
	Maryland 2008 passenger issue. Plates returned to the usual Maryland die set after the run of New Jersey-made plates ended, restarting at 1CP A01 through the introduction of a new baseplate in June, 2010 (see next.)
	Maryland 2012 passenger issue. Maryland introduced a new general issue in June, 2010, to commemorate the upcoming bicentennial of the War of 1812. The plate incorporates elements of "The Star Spangled Banner," featuring a graphic of the American flag streaming o'er the ramparts of Fort McHenry as red rockets glare and bombs burst in the background. The plate remained the state's general issue through late 2016 and used a unique 1 A/B 2345 serial format with the letters stacked. The series began with this stacked M/D series, followed by A/A and above.
	Maryland 2012 passenger issue. Continuation of the series, once the initial M/D series was exhausted, the stacked characters reverted to A/A and progressed from there.
	Maryland 2013 passenger issue. Continuation of the War of 1812 base, in 2012 the contract for producing background sheeting for these plates was awarded to Avery, producing plates with the trademark Avery sheen to them. The graphic looks otherwise the same as the previous 3M plates. This change occurred somewhere in the A/G series.
	Maryland 2016 passenger issue. In September, 2016, Maryland discontinued the War of 1812 base and began issuing a new "Maryland Proud" graphic plate featuring the state's flag at the bottom. The new issue continues the serial format from the 1812 base, but using seven full-height characters rather than the hard-to-read stacked letters of the previous issue. This change was made in the 8CN series.